The Face Curse

“BRIIIING”!!! Wow! I just had the craziest dream. I aim to hit the green colored alarm clock in frustration. Nope, not the alarm clock. My metal water bottle falls to the carpet floor with a hard thud. I don’t know what gave me a harder headache, the constant blaring of the alarm clock, or the fact that ice cold water just spilled all over my Gucci sandals. Well, my Zucci sandals, which to me are better and cheaper. I finally get the energy to turn off my alarm clock and the courage to face the wet floor and sandals. “GERRMANASEDE”, was just about the sound I made when I went through the choppy waves of the carpet. When I reached the finish line, my bedroom door, I took a deep breath of fresh air. Well, Febreeze, given the fact I was inside and sprayed some last night. My feet swayed as I walked to the bathroom. “La Li Da Da”, I sing to myself happily. When I reach the bathroom, I start my daily routine. Brush teeth, take a shower, lotion myself, get dressed, look at myself in the mirror, hate myself in the mirror, and with a simple, “Whoosh”, become a different person in the mirror.

 “Let’s see, do I want to be Ava Adler, the shy doctor? Nah. I flip my finger to the side to see my next option. Maya Zaben, the funny professional chef. I guess I could cook a little today. I walk through the mirror and into the kitchen of a fancy restaurant as Maya Zaben. The texture of the cooking apparel and toque made me very uncomfortable. 

“ZABEN, WE NEED YOU IN THE DELI AREA, STAT!”

 I could hear the head chef’s lisp all the way from here. Finally, Maya’s personality, strengths, weaknesses, and abilities come to me. I don’t only physically become the person, but I mentally become that person as well. Thanks to Sir Pittacus Parker. I was abandoned as a baby and Sir Pittacus Parker found me hidden under a bush. Sir Pittacus Parker took one glance at me and told me I was hideous. Thank goodness that he fixed me and gave me this ability. If he didn’t fix me, I would be walking the streets poor and ugly. I’ve been practicing how to morph into a different person, since I was a baby. The only problem is that every eleven years, I have to take this nasty potion. Another con is that I can’t look like the same person for more than four hours.  WAIT! HOW OLD AM I?! I take a deep breath and remember how nice Sir Pittacus Parker was. He’d remind me to take the potion. Well, other than that, morphing is a piece of cake. 

“Zaben, I called you about half an hour ago!” The head chef yells. 

Speaking of cake, I start to head towards the deli section to complete the order for James Dervishi. Apparently, Maya, I mean me, has a big crush on this James guy. I closed my eyes, so I could find out who this so called prince was.

He’s a stable health center receptionist who enjoys charity work, painting and meditation.

 Ok, he seems nice. Let’s see what else. I close my eyes again to find out more. 

He is stable and reliable, but can also be very cowardly and a bit grumpy. He is an Australian Christian. He started studying medicine at college but never finished the course. He is allergic to pine cones. Physically, James is in good shape. He is very tall with light skin, red hair and blue eyes. He grew up in an upper class neighbourhood. He was raised by his mother, his father having left when he was young.

 I think I’m in love with him, too. Well, duh. Maya’s in love with him. I finish up his meal, and seal it up. 

“I’m looking to pick up a meal for James Dervishi” He chuckles.

That’s James, I think to myself. Just as I was about to turn around, hands reached my waist and turned me forward. James gives me a kiss and then stares into my, I mean Maya’s, green eyes. 

“You look so confused,” James says.

I smile nervously, “You're just really early.”

I back up and turn around to pick up his meal. My feet stuck in place, confused. I must’ve not finished the information about him. My eyes close again and I think hard. 

James Dervishi is dating Maya Zaben, and comes to get food everyday just to see her. He asked Maya on a date yesterday, and they’re going to ‘Skates and Mates’.

Of course. I open my eyes and hand him the food. 

“Are you okay?” James asks

“Yea, I just can’t wait for our date today.” I say 

“I didn't even tell you yet, it was supposed to be a surprise”

“You must’ve forgotten, you told me.” 

I look down to the floor to avoid eye contact.

“Oh, forgetful me. C’mon, your shift is done.”

“Uh, no it’s not”

“You only work for four hours.”

“It’s been four hours?” I ask shakily

“Well, it’s about to be in five minutes. What’s going on with you.”

I start to sweat and cry, and I run towards the door.

“Hold on, I just need some fresh air” I say as tears start rolling down my eyes. 

“Maya wait!” James hollers.

I ignore every urge to run back in his arms. I open the door and walk out. Not remembering what would happen. I walked right through my mirror and back into the beat up apartment. I just left the first place that made me feel complete, whole, happy, pretty. Where all memories of Maya Zaben were gone. James Dervishi was gone. 

“EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING IS GONE!” I yell.

Why can’t I be pretty? I cry more and more until I realize the one person that actually makes me happy, Forest Robert Snozcumber. Forest Robert Snozcumber is a 29-year-old local activist who enjoys going to the movies, listening to the radio and jigsaw puzzles. He is gentle and kind, but can also be very sadistic and a bit greedy. He is addicted to the internet, which is something I continuously pointed out when he was 18. The problem intensified in 2012. Forest has lost two jobs as a result of his addiction. I knew him my whole life, and he and his father, Sir Pittacus Parker, are the only two that know what I could do. Forest had the option to take the potion, but he’s so handsome, he doesn’t need it. He is Canadian. He has a degree in philosophy, politics and economics. Physically, Forest is in pretty good shape. He is tall with olive skin, black hair and brown eyes. He grew up in a working class neighbourhood. 

His mother left when he was young, leaving him with his father, who was addicted to his research on me. He is currently single. Forest's best friend is me. We have a very fiery friendship. He also hangs around with Lavender Bush and Gideon Page. They enjoy baking together. I know it’ll be awkward because of our last encounter. We almost kissed each other, then I stopped him because I knew it would be awkward. We were like brother and sister. I ran away and ended up at this dump of a place. He probably hates me, but he was the only one who made me complete. I have to give it a shot. I get up and look through my magic mirror. Okay who’s it going to be this time. Maud Blackman, the considerate personal trainer, or Sally Barlow, the energetic manager. 

I think I should be Maud because she works inside the place he works. I walk through the mirror and I become Maud. While I wait for Blackman’s statistics to come in, I search the room for Forest. There he is. He’s stretching with these groups of people and he soon looks my way. He walks towards me, and I instantly get nauseous and bubbly at the same time. 

“What are you doing here?” Forest asks.

“What do you mean?” I say as I try to play it cool.

“This is the first time I've seen your face around here. As soon as I saw you, people thought you worked here. That you’ve been working here for ten years. Don’t forget that my father gave me a potion as well, to see right through you.” He stares at me sternly and I give up.

“Gosh, can a girl ever surprise her best friend?” I chuckle nervously.

“Don’t do that to me. You leave out of the blue, and five years later, you come back to ‘check on me’. He stares deep into my soul as I start to tear up.

Trying to change the subject, I ask, “So how’s Sir Pittacus Parker?” 

He glares at me and says, “Pittacus Parker, my father, died a year after you left. I had no one to talk to because YOU left me!”

“He died, then who’s supposed to give me my potion?” I ask in confusion

“I just told you my father died, the person that raised you died, and that’s the first thing you say?” 

I look at him speechless, with no words. He looks as if he’s about to cry.

Then he says, “Do you want to know who I was friends with, Polly Harriet Parkes. The smart theatre actor who suffers from a severe phobia of sausages.” He chuckles and shakes his head, then continues, “The smart and creative 28 year old who enjoys social card games, jigsaw puzzles and playing video games. The most beautiful, tall, young lady I know. With chocolate skin, black hair, brown eyes, and has a birthmark on her neck. The capricorn who was born on January 8, 1992. The lady I was in lo-”

My phone starts to ring. Who was that? No one knows about me? He walks away, and I stay there with my eyes and mouth sagging. I was always beautiful? No, he was probably trying to make me feel better about myself. Before Forest could look back, I was gone. I went through the door, through the mirror, and into my dump. This time, it was different. This time I’m full of motivation and determination. I’m in search of the one thing that truly makes me happy and pretty, the potion. I storm out of the house with my real face and my real body for the first time in five years. I feel confident, strong, and powerful, so I play my favorite rapper, Inspectah Creepy. He gets me hype. I play his most popular song, So Creepy (I think I'll Scream). I walk straight forward down the creepy streets, which fits the song. I don’t know exactly where I’m going, but I’m going. I need to be pretty. The only way to get that is to get the potion. I start to run in no particular direction, when an arm touches me. 

I get pulled into bushes, when I see him. Sir Pittacus Parker.

“Sir Pittacus Parker? I thought you died. You did die. Did I die? Are you-”

“Shh, I don’t have a lot of time. Today it’s your 22nd birthday. Here is the potion, and more potions for the next 33 years, so three more potions. I knew all about you and Forest, and I was sad you left, we were both sad. Listen to me, he loved you. Sorry, he loves you. I wanted to give you an option. To hide in different bodies and faces your whole life, or to strut the world confidently in your own body and become an actress.” 

My eyes get watery, my mind tries to go over everything he just said. 

“Wow, thank you for the potions, but-” He continues before I get to finish.

 “You were never ugly, I was going through my own problems, and I projected them on you. You, Polly Parkes, are strong, beautiful, and a queen. Never forget that I loved you. You were always and will always be my child.”

He collapses to the floor with a hard thud, but instead of water, blood shed on the dirt. I called the ambulance immediately, while crying my eyes out. 

“HELP! SOMEONE HELP!” I yell.

I knew that would call attention to myself, but I didn’t care. I was beautiful. I was always beautiful. I got his approval which is what I always wanted. While the ambulance put Sir Pi- my father, in the ambulance, I called Forest. He instantly picks up. 

“Your father,” I cry.

“Calm down, what’s happening?” Forest says calmly

“He’s dead”

“I know, he’s been dead for four years” 

“No, I saw him, he talked to me”

“Where are you?”

“We’re going to Knox Green Hospital.”

“I’m on my way.” He says hurriedly

I get in the car, and hold my father's hand. I cry in anger, sadness, happiness, and of fear. I had mixed emotions. We arrived at the hospital, around the same time Forest did. One hand was holding father and the other in Forest’s warm hands. Dr. Martin Gray started to speak and told us what happened.

“He hasn’t eaten for over five weeks, and passed out. His head fell on a thorn and instantly died.”

Mr. Gray looked at us, waiting for a reaction. There wasn’t one. I was in the chair crying, while Forest stood still staring at father. 

“I’ll leave you two to say goodbye.”

“Hahaha, I’m surprised he even lasted this long.” 

“What are you talking about?”

I try to stand up, but I fall back in my seat. I stand back up, and I wobble to the floor. I look up and the hospital starts vibrating. It glitches from my apartment, to the restaurant, to all the places I’ve ever been, back to the hospital. I start to get dizzy and slide forward. Forest glitches from James, Sir Pittacus Parker, and to all the people I have ever met. I look down, and I start to glitch. From Maya, Maud, and everyone I’ve ever been. 

“THIS ISN’T RIGHT!” I yell.

I struggle to understand what reality was, and what was fake. As everything continued to glitch, Forest/Sir Pittacus Parker/Mr. Gray/etc. Started to talk.

“You’re probably wondering what’s happening, so I’ll answer you. You are not human, you came from some egg. An evil egg. The government doesn’t know what or who you are. Until then, you keep reliving the same day. Hahaha, it’s kind of funny. You lasted three seconds the first time. About the 21st time, you lasted pretty long. It’s the 499th time, haha, you’ll never amount to anything. Get ready, time for round 500. We have a surprise for you this time. See you again.”

He chuckles and shuts my eyes with his wrinkly fingers.

“Goodnight!”

Then it went pitch black.

“BRIIIING”!!! Wow! I just had the craziest dream. 

THE END!

By: Journey Smith